Apple discovered a very successful way of distinguishing itself
from other hardware brands with its popsicle-colored iMac computer.
Now software companies are wondering whether they can take a lesson
from the "think different" mold-breaker and instill some
image-conscious designs in their tech products.

Before

Media 100, a
Marlboro, Massachusetts, maker of streaming media production
software, is scrapping the boilerplate Windows-style interface. The
purpose: aesthetic branding Ã la iMac, but on the screen
instead of in the housing. There will be a few new features, but
it's the look and feel the company is banking on to distinguish
itself. To lead that effort, Media 100 hired Santa Barbara,
California, branding solutions agency Impossible Inc.

During

Robert Bailey,
Impossible's chief technologist on the assignment, explains
that rather than fight a "features war" with rivals to
produce overly complex software, "we're designing an
interface that makes features far more ergonomic, giving clients
brand distinction where you rarely see it: on the
desktop."

After

The Result,
says Bailey, is an interface of "elegance, refinement and
style" that offers instant identity in a crowded marketplace.
Will it succeed in its mission or become just another pretty
interface? Great new brands offer meaningful differentiation, not
merely skin-deep tweaking. But with their mandate to make features
work as elegantly as they look, it sounds as if the agency and its
client are keeping that distinction top-of-mind.

Jerry Fisher, a
freelance advertising copywriter, is also the author of
Creating Successful Small Business Advertising.